Doryx MPC News

MONDAY, July 17, 2017 – It's well-known that too much time in the sun puts your skin at risk. But it's extra important to limit sun exposure when you're taking certain prescription medications, a pharmaceutical expert warns. Drug-induced photosensitivity is similar to intense sunburns. It causes severe pain, skin peeling and blistering. People taking certain antibiotics and antidepressants are most at risk, said Cesar Munoz, clinical pharmacy manager in ambulatory care services at Harris Health System in the Houston area. Even some over-the-counter medications can cause photosensitivity, so be sure to read the label of any medication you take. The Skin Cancer Foundation warns that pain-relievers – such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) – can cause photosensitivity. The degree of skin reaction depends on several factors, such as drug strength and amount of sun ... Read more

FRIDAY, July 7, 2017 – Recurring Clostridium difficile intestinal infections are rising sharply in the United States, researchers warn. These infections sicken about 500,000 people a year, cause tens of thousands of deaths, and cost the U.S. health care system about $5 billion, according to investigators at the University of Pennsylvania. C. difficile causes diarrhea, severe gut inflammation and can lead to deadly blood infections, especially in the elderly. A review of nationwide health insurance data found a nearly 200 percent increase in the annual incidence of multiple recurring C. difficile infections between 2001 and 2012. For ordinary C. difficile, incidence rose by about 40 percent. Patients with multiple recurring C. difficile infections tended to be older (average age 56 versus 49), female, and were more likely to have used antibiotics, corticosteroids or acid-reducing drugs, ... Read more

THURSDAY, June 15, 2017 – About 20 percent of U.S. hospital patients who receive antibiotics experience side effects from the drugs, researchers report. The new study included nearly 1,500 hospitalized adults who were prescribed antibiotics. The findings revealed that one-fifth of those who experienced antibiotic-related side effects didn't require the drugs in the first place. The results add to growing evidence that antibiotics are overused, according to the Johns Hopkins Hospital researchers. "Too often, clinicians prescribe antibiotics even if they have a low suspicion for a bacterial infection, thinking that even if antibiotics may not be necessary, they are probably not harmful. But that is not always the case," said Dr. Pranita Tamma. She is director of the hospital's Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. Antibiotics can cause real harm and doctors should always consider ... Read more

MONDAY, May 1, 2017 – Taking certain types of antibiotics during pregnancy may boost the risk of miscarriage, a large study suggests. Macrolides, quinolones, tetracyclines, sulfonamides and metronidazole were associated with an increased risk of "spontaneous abortion," meaning loss of pregnancy before the 20th week of gestation. The study doesn't prove cause and effect. But, it does tie use of certain medicines to a higher risk of miscarriage – up to double the risk for some classes of antibiotics, the researchers said. "Some seem to be safer when it comes to the risk of spontaneous abortion, and some aren't," said study author Anick Bérard, a professor at the University of Montreal's Faculty of Pharmacy. However, the new evidence does not suggest that pregnant women should stop taking antibiotics to treat bacterial infections. "It [miscarriage] is still a rare outcome," Bérard added. ... Read more

MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2017 – A new report suggests that Canada would reap savings of more than $4 billion a year if the government funded nearly 120 types of "essential" medications. "Adding an essential medicines list is a pragmatic step toward universal pharmacare," said Steven Morgan, in a news release from the Canadian Medical Association. "It would ensure all Canadians have access to the most commonly required medicines while saving patients and private drug plan sponsors over $4 billion per year," Morgan said. He's a professor at the University of British Columbia. The report authors listed 117 drugs as essential medications. This list included antibiotics, insulin, birth control and antidepressants. These drugs made up 44 percent of all prescriptions filled at Canadian retail pharmacies in 2015. When "therapeutically similar" drugs were included in the list, that figure was as high ... Read more

MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2017 – Antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" are a major public health threat, but most Americans are clueless about the dangers, a new HealthDay/Harris Poll shows. More than two-thirds of U.S. adults know "little" or "nothing" about so-called superbugs – bacterial infections that are resistant to many or all antibiotics. And around half believe, incorrectly, that antibiotics work against viruses. That's a concern because improper antibiotic use is considered the major driver of the superbug problem – a problem with deadly consequences. "This poll shows that public ignorance is a huge part of the problem," said Humphrey Taylor, chairman emeritus of The Harris Poll. "Millions of patients continue to believe that antibiotics will help them recover from colds, flu and other viral infections," Taylor said, "and they can be upset with their doctors if they will not prescribe ... Read more

THURSDAY, Nov. 17, 2016 – Antibiotics taken orally are as effective – and doubtless much more welcome – than intravenous antibiotics for children recovering at home from complex pneumonia, a new study finds. Youngsters with complex pneumonia typically have to take antibiotics for one to three weeks after they leave the hospital, the researchers noted. To see if one medication method outperformed the other, the investigators looked at more than 2,100 children treated for complex pneumonia at 36 U.S. hospitals. Not only were oral antibiotics as effective as IV ones, they also avoided the risk of infection and other complications related to so-called peripherally inserted central venous catheters ("PICC lines"), which are used to administer intravenous antibiotics, the researchers said. "PICC line complications can be serious, resulting in hospital readmission, additional procedures and ... Read more

-- Antibiotic resistance applies when bacteria are no longer eliminated by a medicine that's supposed to kill them. Experts blame the problem on improper use of antibiotic medications. Here's what you can do to help, according to the World Health Organization: Only take antibiotics when prescribed by a health professional. Always finish the entire supply of antibiotics. Stopping too soon may allow the bacteria to continue living. Never save antibiotics for later use or use leftover antibiotics, and never share antibiotics with someone else. To help reduce the risk of infection in the first place, wash your hands often, get vaccinations and limit your contact with sick people. Read more

MONDAY, Sept. 19, 2016 – Despite growing concerns about creating drug-resistant bacteria, overprescribing of antibiotics in U.S. hospitals didn't drop between 2006 and 2012, according to a new federal report. Over that time period, 55 percent of patients received at least one dose of antibiotics during their hospital stay, whether it was needed or not, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. "Antibiotic use remains common, and use of the most powerful antibiotics is rising," said lead researcher James Baggs, a CDC epidemiologist. Although the use of antibiotics remained about the same during the study period, a significant increase was seen in the use of newer antibiotics, Baggs said. "Because inappropriate antibiotic use increases the risk of antibiotic resistance and other side effects, continued monitoring of antibiotic use is critical to future ... Read more